New Olympus SP-620UZ and SZ-12 Ultrazooms, TG-320 Tough Cam

Olympus kicks off a Vegas celebration with five new point-and-shoot cameras, starting at the top with the SP-620 UZ ultrazoom sporting a 21x optical zoom lens. The compact travel zoom SZ-12 and Tough TG-320 also make a debut.

Olympus SP-620UZThis SP-series update gets a 21x optical zoom lens, a slight scaling back from the SP-610’s 22x zoom range. Covering an equivalent range of 25-525mm, the 620UZ offers a 16 megapixel CCD sensor, a suite of Magic Art Filters for in-camera processing and a 3.0-inch LCD. Expect it to become available in January for $199.99.

Olympus SZ-12The compact ultrazoom SZ-12 carries a 24x optical zoom lens covering a 25-600mm equivalent range. With a 14 megapixel sensor, 720p HD video is possible as is burst shooting at up to 7 fps. The camera design incorporates a small grip at the front and a 3.0-inch LCD on the back panel. It will be available in March, priced on par with the SP-620UZ at $199.99.

Olympus TG-320The Tough lineup of rugged point-and-shoots gets an update in the TG-320. It’s waterproof to 10 feet, freezeproof to 14 degrees and shockproof up to a 5 foot drop. The TG-320 offers a 14 megapixel sensor, 3.6x optical zoom lens (28-102mm). Naturally art filters are included as is an HD video recording in and out of water. The TG-320 will be available in February for $179.99.

Olympus VG-160, VR-340Rounding out the bunch are two compact point-and-shoots. The VG-160 offers a 5x optical zoom lens, a 14 megapixel sensor and a 3.0-inch LCD. The VR-340 gets a 16 megapixel sensor and a 10x optical zoom starting at a wide 24mm. The VG-160 will be available in February for $99.99; the VR-340 becomes available in March for $149.99.